fetal hydronephrosis

I am 21 weeks pregnant and our baby has been diagnosed with Fetal Hydronephrosis. We won't know the severity until 33/34 weeks when baby's kidneys are properly developed. Is anyone able to share their experiences with this condition? Thank you!

I am 21 weeks pregnant and our baby has been diagnosed with Fetal Hydronephrosis. We won't know the severity until 33/34 weeks when baby's kidneys are properly developed. Is anyone able to share their experiences with this condition? Thank you!

Not sure how much help I can be, but I was born with chronic kidney disease and only one kidney. I was born three months early. My mom lost all of her amniotic fluid at 6 months so I was an emergency c-section. I am now 25 and have stage three chronic kidney disease. I see my nephrologist every six months with blood work before every visit and a 24 hour urine collection once a year. My body also creates too much calcium so i have really bad kidney stones. Having kidney disease isn't a death sentence but be prepared for lots of appointments and constant blood work. When I was younger I had blood drawn what seemed like every two weeks. Yes the appointments suck but its totally worth it :) GL hun!!!

Not sure how much help I can be, but I was born with chronic kidney disease and only one kidney. I was born three months early. My mom lost all of her amniotic fluid at 6 months so I was an emergency c-section. I am now 25 and have stage three chronic kidney disease. I see my nephrologist every six months with blood work before every visit and a 24 hour urine collection once a year. My body also creates too much calcium so i have really bad kidney stones. Having kidney disease isn't a death sentence but be prepared for lots of appointments and constant blood work. When I was younger I had blood drawn what seemed like every two weeks. Yes the appointments suck but its totally worth it :) GL hun!!!

Your post caught my attention and I thought maybe I can offer you some reassurance....

When I was pregnant with my son, at our 20 week ultrasound, they noticed a problem with his kidneys as well. We were sent to maternal/fetal medicine around 34 weeks. He was diagnosed with hydronephrosis and we were told that we'd have to follow up with a pediatric urologist after he was born.

My son NEVER showed any symptoms of something being wrong. When he was 2 weeks old, we met with the urologist who did a quick external check and sent us in for testing. He didn't have reflux and we were told this was a problem that would more than likely fix itself in time. Well, after reading/hearing all the horror stories about kidney failure and dying, I was completely freaked out.

Low and behold, he is 18 months old now and perfectly fine. He goes to the urologist every 6 months to check (via ultrasound) how his kidneys are doing. So far, so good. They are almost back down to their normal size.

Point of my story is: Don't let the diagnosis scare you. Don't let the stuff you read online scare you. More often than not, this is a problem that will correct itself.

If you have any other questions, you can private message me. Good luck!!

Your post caught my attention and I thought maybe I can offer you some reassurance....

When I was pregnant with my son, at our 20 week ultrasound, they noticed a problem with his kidneys as well. We were sent to maternal/fetal medicine around 34 weeks. He was diagnosed with hydronephrosis and we were told that we'd have to follow up with a pediatric urologist after he was born.

My son NEVER showed any symptoms of something being wrong. When he was 2 weeks old, we met with the urologist who did a quick external check and sent us in for testing. He didn't have reflux and we were told this was a problem that would more than likely fix itself in time. Well, after reading/hearing all the horror stories about kidney failure and dying, I was completely freaked out.

Low and behold, he is 18 months old now and perfectly fine. He goes to the urologist every 6 months to check (via ultrasound) how his kidneys are doing. So far, so good. They are almost back down to their normal size.

Point of my story is: Don't let the diagnosis scare you. Don't let the stuff you read online scare you. More often than not, this is a problem that will correct itself.

If you have any other questions, you can private message me. Good luck!!

Thank you so much for sharing your son's story!
You have no idea how much hope this has given us as we were of the belief the condition could not correct itself being bilateral!
We have since had another appointment with our obstetrician and she is confident our baby's condition may also correct itself inutero without the need for surgery.
We will have another scan at 32-34 weeks and take it from there!
Again, thank you so much for making our day :):):)

Thank you so much for sharing your son's story!
You have no idea how much hope this has given us as we were of the belief the condition could not correct itself being bilateral!
We have since had another appointment with our obstetrician and she is confident our baby's condition may also correct itself inutero without the need for surgery.
We will have another scan at 32-34 weeks and take it from there!
Again, thank you so much for making our day :):):)

Yes I think the fact the kidneys are so vital is what frightened me the most! I just assumed transplant or dialysis would be needed, thankfully not the case though :)
I'm so glad your little boy is doing so well.
I will post the results of my next scan!
Thanks again :):)

Yes I think the fact the kidneys are so vital is what frightened me the most! I just assumed transplant or dialysis would be needed, thankfully not the case though :)
I'm so glad your little boy is doing so well.
I will post the results of my next scan!
Thanks again :):)

My 1 year old son has kidney reflux. He is having surgery to correct his. He hasn't had any trouble with it, except 1 UTI. But his left kidney didn't develop correctly while I was pregnant so thats why we are doing surgery now, to protect that kidney. Let me know how your next scan goes. If it still shows the hydronephrosis, don't stress too much. It is by far not the worst thing to deal with. You can email me if you have any questions, I'll be more than happy to tell you about what we have gone through. My email is ashlee.lyvers@att.net.

My 1 year old son has kidney reflux. He is having surgery to correct his. He hasn't had any trouble with it, except 1 UTI. But his left kidney didn't develop correctly while I was pregnant so thats why we are doing surgery now, to protect that kidney. Let me know how your next scan goes. If it still shows the hydronephrosis, don't stress too much. It is by far not the worst thing to deal with. You can email me if you have any questions, I'll be more than happy to tell you about what we have gone through. My email is ashlee.lyvers@att.net.

My daughter, born March 11, 2010 has hydronephrosis which was diagnosed neonatally at my 20 week ultrasound. At first it was only one kidney, but when they did an ultrasound after she was born, they found it in both. We have had to have regular ultrasounds and we see a pediatric urologist. I would highly recommend finding a pediatric uroligist once the baby has been born and had its own ultrasound to see the severity.

We had a VCUG completed:In urology, a voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG), also micturating cystourethrogram (MCUG), is a technique for watching a person's urethra and urinary bladder while the person urinates (voids). The technique consists of catheterizing the person in order to fill the bladder with a radiocontrast agent, typically cystografin. Under fluoroscopy (real time x-rays) the radiologist watches the contrast enter the bladder and looks at the anatomy of the patient. If the contrast moves into the ureters and back into the kidneys, the radiologist makes the diagnosis of vesicoureteral reflux, and gives the degree of severity a score. The exam ends when the person voids while the radiologist is watching under fluoroscopy. Consumption of fluid promotes excretion of contrast media after the procedure. It is important to watch the contrast during voiding, because this is when the bladder has the most pressure, and it is most likely this is when reflux will occur.

Luckily, my daughter does not have reflux (which as mentioned in another post can be surgically corrected)and her condition has improved on its own. Her last ultrasound was before her 1st birthday and the next one will be around her second birthday.

My daughter, born March 11, 2010 has hydronephrosis which was diagnosed neonatally at my 20 week ultrasound. At first it was only one kidney, but when they did an ultrasound after she was born, they found it in both. We have had to have regular ultrasounds and we see a pediatric urologist. I would highly recommend finding a pediatric uroligist once the baby has been born and had its own ultrasound to see the severity.

We had a VCUG completed:In urology, a voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG), also micturating cystourethrogram (MCUG), is a technique for watching a person's urethra and urinary bladder while the person urinates (voids). The technique consists of catheterizing the person in order to fill the bladder with a radiocontrast agent, typically cystografin. Under fluoroscopy (real time x-rays) the radiologist watches the contrast enter the bladder and looks at the anatomy of the patient. If the contrast moves into the ureters and back into the kidneys, the radiologist makes the diagnosis of vesicoureteral reflux, and gives the degree of severity a score. The exam ends when the person voids while the radiologist is watching under fluoroscopy. Consumption of fluid promotes excretion of contrast media after the procedure. It is important to watch the contrast during voiding, because this is when the bladder has the most pressure, and it is most likely this is when reflux will occur.

Luckily, my daughter does not have reflux (which as mentioned in another post can be surgically corrected)and her condition has improved on its own. Her last ultrasound was before her 1st birthday and the next one will be around her second birthday.

Did they tell you the size of kidneys? I had two scans one at 19 weeks and one at 23 weeks they both showed hydronephonis. They sent me to fetal diagnostics at 25 weeks and everything was fine. Sometimes you just need another opinion... Hope everything works out.

Did they tell you the size of kidneys? I had two scans one at 19 weeks and one at 23 weeks they both showed hydronephonis. They sent me to fetal diagnostics at 25 weeks and everything was fine. Sometimes you just need another opinion... Hope everything works out.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me! I really hope your sons surgery goes well and you can put this all behind you :)
When is he scheduled to have the surgery? I would love to know that everything goes well for him!
I am now 29.5 weeks so only 2.5 weeks until my next scan!
Again, I hope all goes well for your son!
Kylie x

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me! I really hope your sons surgery goes well and you can put this all behind you :)
When is he scheduled to have the surgery? I would love to know that everything goes well for him!
I am now 29.5 weeks so only 2.5 weeks until my next scan!
Again, I hope all goes well for your son!
Kylie x

Thank you for your reply! I am now 29.5 weeks so our next scan is only 2.5 weeks away at which point I believe a pediatric urologist will be present and will then decide what treatment, if any, is necessary.
I hope everything continues to go well for your daughter :)
Thanks again for sharing, it's so reassuring hearing others experiences!

Thank you for your reply! I am now 29.5 weeks so our next scan is only 2.5 weeks away at which point I believe a pediatric urologist will be present and will then decide what treatment, if any, is necessary.
I hope everything continues to go well for your daughter :)
Thanks again for sharing, it's so reassuring hearing others experiences!

Hi! Thanks for your reply!
Apparently the tubes from the kidney are 1mm in diameter larger than they should have been at the 18/19 week mark!
I have another scan in 2.5 weeks and am hoping the gap has somewhat closed! Apparently if the condition is in only one kidney it is likely to correct itself but our baby's is bilateral so is more uncommon.
Still hoping for a good outcome and if not, at least we are prepared for the surgery. It is not life threatening and that is the most important thing!
Thanks again for your reply, I will post the results of my next scan :)

Hi! Thanks for your reply!
Apparently the tubes from the kidney are 1mm in diameter larger than they should have been at the 18/19 week mark!
I have another scan in 2.5 weeks and am hoping the gap has somewhat closed! Apparently if the condition is in only one kidney it is likely to correct itself but our baby's is bilateral so is more uncommon.
Still hoping for a good outcome and if not, at least we are prepared for the surgery. It is not life threatening and that is the most important thing!
Thanks again for your reply, I will post the results of my next scan :)

My son is almost 4 months and was diagnosed with hydronephrosis at a week old he doesn't go back to get checked until January but his urologist wasn't to concerned so we'll see what happens in a couple months! Good luck to you and yours!!

My son is almost 4 months and was diagnosed with hydronephrosis at a week old he doesn't go back to get checked until January but his urologist wasn't to concerned so we'll see what happens in a couple months! Good luck to you and yours!!

Thank you for your reply! We were so lucky to have the condition diagnosed at such an early stage so have had time to adjust to the initial shock and scariness! I have my next scan in 2.5 weeks so will post results!
I'm so glad to hear that your son is doing well, I would love to know how his next check up goes with your urologist! All the best and thanks again :)

Thank you for your reply! We were so lucky to have the condition diagnosed at such an early stage so have had time to adjust to the initial shock and scariness! I have my next scan in 2.5 weeks so will post results!
I'm so glad to hear that your son is doing well, I would love to know how his next check up goes with your urologist! All the best and thanks again :)

Thank you! Landon actually had his surgery on Monday, 10/31. He has done great so far. He is scheduled for a follow up ultrasound in one month and VCUG in three months. Hopefully those look ok and we can put all this behind us. But the surgeon said the surgery went great. He was worried about having to put a stent in, depending on the size of his ureters, but he didn't have to have one, so that's good. Let me know how your next scan goes. I'll be thinking about you!

Thank you! Landon actually had his surgery on Monday, 10/31. He has done great so far. He is scheduled for a follow up ultrasound in one month and VCUG in three months. Hopefully those look ok and we can put all this behind us. But the surgeon said the surgery went great. He was worried about having to put a stent in, depending on the size of his ureters, but he didn't have to have one, so that's good. Let me know how your next scan goes. I'll be thinking about you!

During my pregnancy my DD's kidneys looked fine (we had a single umbilical artery, so they checked them quite frequently). After her birth she was put on Lasix for her two heart defects. They did a kidney ultrasound only because she had a SUA. She was diagnosed with hydronephrosis as well, had a VCUG, and does not have reflux. One of her kidneys resolved on its own while she was in the NICU, but we visit the pediatric urologist periodically. We went last week and he said her one kidney is not getting better but may resolve on its own when she goes off the Lasix (which is likely happening in two weeks when she hits six months). We have an appointment to go back in six months and if it doesn't look better will have to talk about a plan for going forward.

Good luck, and try not to read what is online!

During my pregnancy my DD's kidneys looked fine (we had a single umbilical artery, so they checked them quite frequently). After her birth she was put on Lasix for her two heart defects. They did a kidney ultrasound only because she had a SUA. She was diagnosed with hydronephrosis as well, had a VCUG, and does not have reflux. One of her kidneys resolved on its own while she was in the NICU, but we visit the pediatric urologist periodically. We went last week and he said her one kidney is not getting better but may resolve on its own when she goes off the Lasix (which is likely happening in two weeks when she hits six months). We have an appointment to go back in six months and if it doesn't look better will have to talk about a plan for going forward.

My friends son was born with that. They diagnosed it at 16 weeks and told her to abort because he would likely die before birth. She decided to keep him and delivered him full term. He's now 2 and a half years old and the condition is completely gone. He gets an ultrasound every 6 months but he's perfectly fine.

My friends son was born with that. They diagnosed it at 16 weeks and told her to abort because he would likely die before birth. She decided to keep him and delivered him full term. He's now 2 and a half years old and the condition is completely gone. He gets an ultrasound every 6 months but he's perfectly fine.

They caught hydronephrosis in our LO’s left kidney at 20 weeks. I’ve had 2 ultrasounds since and it’s getting progressively worse. Not drastically, but enough to be concerned.
We met with a nephrologist last week and our plan is to put the LO on antibiotics at birth to combat any infection. According to her, the side effects of the antibiotics include irritating the LO’s flora (gut) or possibly thrush. She said that if we didn’t do antibiotics, and there was an infection, it would result in a high fever. And when high fevers happen in newborns, a whole other series of invasive tests are done to rule out more serious issues.
At one week, the LO will get an ultrasound to get a better idea of what’s going on. If it’s worsening, they recommended a catheterization test to see how urine is flowing/not flowing out of the kidney. Last resort is surgery at, ideally, 3-4 mo.
In our case, she said that the LO has a 50% chance of it resolving on its own. I sure hope so. I hate the thought of my little peanut having any pain or going through anything invasive, ever. Good news is that our prognosis is excellent – pretty much 100% (either with resolving on its own or with surgery).
I’m a FTM - I suppose this is the first of many worries about my child’s health and safety. I’m sure they’ll be broken bones, sicknesses, fevers, etc. in its life in the years ahead.

They caught hydronephrosis in our LO’s left kidney at 20 weeks. I’ve had 2 ultrasounds since and it’s getting progressively worse. Not drastically, but enough to be concerned.
We met with a nephrologist last week and our plan is to put the LO on antibiotics at birth to combat any infection. According to her, the side effects of the antibiotics include irritating the LO’s flora (gut) or possibly thrush. She said that if we didn’t do antibiotics, and there was an infection, it would result in a high fever. And when high fevers happen in newborns, a whole other series of invasive tests are done to rule out more serious issues.
At one week, the LO will get an ultrasound to get a better idea of what’s going on. If it’s worsening, they recommended a catheterization test to see how urine is flowing/not flowing out of the kidney. Last resort is surgery at, ideally, 3-4 mo.
In our case, she said that the LO has a 50% chance of it resolving on its own. I sure hope so. I hate the thought of my little peanut having any pain or going through anything invasive, ever. Good news is that our prognosis is excellent – pretty much 100% (either with resolving on its own or with surgery).
I’m a FTM - I suppose this is the first of many worries about my child’s health and safety. I’m sure they’ll be broken bones, sicknesses, fevers, etc. in its life in the years ahead.

My Daughter has bilateral hydronephrosis. In utero it was only the right kidney but after she was born (full term) it was discovered that both of her kidneys are enlarged. She went through several tests including the reflux test (no reflux) and Mag 3 scans which showed decreased function in her right kidney. The scans showed a blockage in her ureter which was not allowing her kidney to drain. She had surgery in August at 5.5 months old. She did great with the surgery and has been doing great since. Her ureter was twisted and actually looped up inside of the kidney. They removed the damaged part of the ureter and re attached it to her kidney. They put a stent in to keep it straight which was removed with a scope through her bladder. Her left kidney had no blockage and we're hoping it is slightly enlarged because it was doing the work of two kidneys. She has an ultrasound in a couple of weeks to see how everything looks and we'll go from there. I hope that everything goes okay with your little one. You can email me is you have questions. There is a Facebook group "Parents of Children with Hydronephrosis" that offers some great support. Hth!

My Daughter has bilateral hydronephrosis. In utero it was only the right kidney but after she was born (full term) it was discovered that both of her kidneys are enlarged. She went through several tests including the reflux test (no reflux) and Mag 3 scans which showed decreased function in her right kidney. The scans showed a blockage in her ureter which was not allowing her kidney to drain. She had surgery in August at 5.5 months old. She did great with the surgery and has been doing great since. Her ureter was twisted and actually looped up inside of the kidney. They removed the damaged part of the ureter and re attached it to her kidney. They put a stent in to keep it straight which was removed with a scope through her bladder. Her left kidney had no blockage and we're hoping it is slightly enlarged because it was doing the work of two kidneys. She has an ultrasound in a couple of weeks to see how everything looks and we'll go from there. I hope that everything goes okay with your little one. You can email me is you have questions. There is a Facebook group "Parents of Children with Hydronephrosis" that offers some great support. Hth!

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